GIN TASTING IN 5 EASY STEPS

Hi, Bunkers!!

Have you ever made a Gin tasting? Herein we will explain the right way to do it, so the next time you meet your Friends, you will have the chance to offer them a different plan and be a great host.

We would recommend a blind tasting, this way one person would be in charge of secretly serving the gins in such a way that the rest of the group components are unaware of which Gin they are tasting at each time. They will be probably surprised!

 

Tasting preparation

•  First and foremost, we must make our Gin selection, for what we recommend a range of up to 5 different Gins, among which we suggest to vary by its botanicals profile, for instance, citrus or floral, or even vary them by its quality, you can choose a bad quality one and a Premium classic one such as our Bunker London Dry Gin.

 

• The right glass must be used, for which a good quality fine tasting glass is needed. It is similar to a little wine glass. Due to its form, it prevents all the volatile aroma to run away from the glass, and thus, making it easier to notice the smell at the edge of the glass. Moreover, it also allows us to easily whirl the gin without heating it up.

                                         

 

•  The Gin must be approximately at 18- 21ºC (65-70ºF).

 

Tasting beginning

   1.Serving and order: you must pour 3cl (1oz.) Of Gin in the glass, for which you can use a jigger. Following the expert's advice, it is better to begin with a classic cut Gin, given its dominant juniper character.

     2. visual phase: place the glass against the light or against a White background to appreciate its color. Most of them are crystal-clear, but you may also notice some blueish nuances, which are the result of the botanicals used.

  3.Mixture: 3 cl (1 oz) of water must be added, preferably a slightly mineralized water so it doesn´t cover other aromas. In this way, we get a lower alcohol percentage, which encourages the smell of the botanicals, otherwise, a high alcohol smell would hide them. Whirl the Gin around to slightly oxygenate it and let it free its aromas all over the edges of the glass.

   4.Smell phase: you must strongly sniff it in order to bring all the fragrances to the nerve endings located in the upper part of the nose. The notes we will find can be citrous, fruity, earthy, sweet, Woody, spicy…and in the case you notice astringency or chemical substances, those are hints of a low-quality Gin

 

Enrique Lozano (Bunker Distillery´s Master Distiller)

 

5. Taste phase: bring the glass to your mouth and make a little sip, it must be quick and short (without swallowing) and let the Gin stay in the tongue for a few seconds. The first sip has to be pleasant and must show the Gin´s botanical mixture, but the juniper flavor must prevail.

 

It is important to take the needed time to make sure you can appreciate all the hidden flavors because there is a wide range of aromas depending on the ingredients and botanicals used in each Gin. And last but not least, every good quality Gin has to have a clean and fresh finish.

Our suggestion is to write down the nuances you find in each Gin in order to get a better final valuation.

And remember, Gin has been created to fulfill our lives with great moments surrounded by our Friends and beloved ones, so enjoy every single sip!